


Stars are brighter when I'm with you

by nobeliumoxygenoxygen



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Post Hawkmoth Defeat, Power Outage, Secret Santa Fic, Soft moment under the stars, mlsecretsanta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:35:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22064887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobeliumoxygenoxygen/pseuds/nobeliumoxygenoxygen
Summary: There’s a power outage in the whole of Paris but instead of chaos, everyone’s united in this rare moment of utter peace beneath the stars. Marinette only wishes Nino was there to experience it with her.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi (background), Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Stars are brighter when I'm with you

**Author's Note:**

> For @lahiffed in the @mlsecretsanta (on tumblr)

It was a rare night in Paris; no one could deny the unmistakable air of energy, not when there was this subtle hub of joy wherever you went, but at the same time, it was the most peaceful it had been in a long, long while. And that was saying something considering Hawkmoth’s defeat years ago, as well as the fact that most people had predicted it to be a hectic evening of people rushing to and fro to fix things. **  
**

The power outage had taken most by surprise. Sure, the news reporters had predicted it, had gone so far as to warn everyone to prepare themselves, but no one had quite believed that there would be a whole city wide outage. Paris was darker than ever, but the stars…

The stars were the brightest they’d ever been, and the people? Walking down the roads with their candles, singing carols in the streets, strangers joining hands and groups and hugs; some could have argued it was the happiest they’d been in a while. 

Something like this took the edge of the rush of the holiday season; the rush to buy presents, to set up decorations, to cook and bake and design.

Marinette just wished Nino was here to see it all with her. 

Though, she knew he was doing good at the club; despite the fact that the club would be relatively empty, the managers had wanted staff members on board to ensure things were kept smooth with the people who did come. She’d gotten a message from Nino earlier about most of the party goers bringing dozens upon dozens of glow sticks, giving them out and sharing them with others until the whole place was pretty much lit up with fluorescent arms.

He had told her it wasn’t chaotic or anything, so there was nothing to worry about, but if so, she couldn’t help the little wish in her mind; couldn’t he come home then? 

Blushing, she glanced away from the second cup of hot chocolate she’d made. Of course, if anyone asked, she could just say it was for Tikki (even if she had ignored the sly look the kwami had given her as she’d made the second cup almost instinctively, before realising no one would be there to drink it), but _of course_ she couldn’t deny she was also just being a tad too hopeful…

“You should go to sleep, Marinette,” said kwami piped up from her homemade (doll)house on the balcony table. “It’s getting late.”

She smiled wistfully. “I know. I will, don’t worry Tikki.” Tikki flew up to hug her cheek. “You go have fun with the others, okay? Tell them I can’t wait to see them this Friday.”

Tikki nodded. “Of course. I’m sure they can’t wait to see you too. You’re getting so much stronger with your guardian training, Marinette!” 

She ducked her head, bashful. Her guardian training with Fu had begun years ago but she still couldn’t quite believe it; especially without a threat to visualise anymore. At the very least, it had made her get so much closer with all the other kwamis. “Thanks, Tikki.” She playfully pushed her away. “Now _go_. I’m sure they’ve been waiting for you for a while.” 

Tikki laughed, doing a somersault in the air. “The party don’t start till I walk in!”

Marinette raised her eyebrows as she started flying away. “Who taught you that?” She called out after her.

“Trixx!” 

She laughed, shaking her head. The fox kwami up to his usual tricks, it seemed.

But as Marinette turned back out to face the view over her balcony, she sighed.

It was just past twelve but the night felt so… young. Younger than it had felt in years. Even younger than the night it finally dawned that Hawkmoth was defeated (the first few nights after had been a whirlwind of numbness she’d rather forget). 

It didn’t feel right to just… sleep it away. Not when so many people were having so much fun everywhere else. Even the ones in the street below looked so happy. Families huddled together in their warm winter gloves and beanies and jackets, candles and lamps flickering in the air, sparklers crackling and blazing.

She opened her phone again, flicking through everyone’s stories; late as it was, no one appeared to be sleeping. Alya was with her family, the whole Cesaire family hanging out everywhere in Paris if her selfies were anything to go by. Marinette saw the silhouettes of Anarka, Juleka, and Rose on Luka’s story, as well as other photographs of the Liberty going around the Seine with its lights illuminating the glittering waters. Adrien hadn’t posted anything, but considering his and Kagami’s steadily going private lifestyle (after years of being forced in the spotlight, she couldn’t blame them), she could tell they were probably enjoying this starlit night together somewhere too. 

It’s not like she was jealous of everyone else and the fun they were having with all their loved ones… her parents were visiting her uncle in China and Nino… no, she was just sleepy so there wasn’t any time to feel jealous anyway. It’s not like she would have wanted to stargaze with him and point out constellations together and share the hot chocolate and blankets and–

Okay, she was. But when she looked into the sky and only the stars looked back, how could she help it?

Maybe she couldn’t. And maybe she’d just have to bear with it.

“Mari? You up here?” 

She jumped, heart racing as she peered over the balcony railing. No, no it couldn’t be… there was no one there. She must have been hearing things.

But unless she was feeling things too–a certain, familiar hand on her shoulder, the glimpse of his red and blue and black wristband catching her eye–then–

She whirled around, eyes widening as she peered in to Nino’s amber ones, knowing his smile even if the world had gone pitch black. “Y-you’re here?” She gasped, confused and speechless before he laughed a little, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I wanted to surprise you… so, uh, surprise?” He grinned nervously. 

She blinked before giggling, shoulders shaking at the raw joy she felt at seeing her lover. Marinette threw her arms around him, thanking the stars that had answered her hopes and wishes, even one as small and silly as this one.

Though, with his arms around her, it didn’t feel small and silly; it never did, not with Nino.

He pulled away but kept one arm around her, shaking the other as dozens of glow sticks jingled. He took a few off and put them on her instead, making sure her green and blue wristband was still visible at the top. “Got a few of these… this dude brought in so many. But Kim, Alix, and Max went wild with them, they were covered in hoops of these.” 

Marinette laughed, admiring the light. “They were there?”

“Yeah, they knew I’d be on shift so they wanted to say hi. You’d think security would be even tighter tonight but…” 

Marientte hummed. “The atmosphere is so peaceful though… you’d be worse than Hawkmoth to ruin it.” They laughed, pressing their foreheads together before Nino pulled away completely to look at the two mugs of hot chocolate on the table, a knowing smile on his face. Marinette flushed. “T-that was for Tikki!” She squeaked, even though she could vividly picture Tikki’s roll of her eyes.

“I thought Tikki was going with the others tonight?” Nino asked, his smile widening.

She groaned, hitting her head on his chest in defeat. “We-well, isn’t it a good thing I made you one since you’re here now anyway? You should be grateful,” She mumbled. 

Even as he laughed, Nino couldn’t help the warmth growing in his chest. “I am. Dorkasaurus.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Moronasaurus.” 

They sat down on the blanket she had put out earlier, drinking their hot chocolate as they leaned into each other, the cold winter air setting in. It was late, and yet neither felt sleepy, too content to end the moment.

Nino shifted. “They say the area around the Eiffel tower has been turned into a sort of camping-stargazing-spot for tonight.” He piped up, almost nervously (four years of dating the kindest, most amazing person he’d ever known and he still hadn’t quite gotten over the nervousness). 

Marinette turned to look at him, eyes wide; shining even in the darkness of the night. “Do you want to go?”

Nino flushed, backtracking. “Oh I just wanted to mention it. I’d heard it in the club. Lots of people were going.”

Marinette opened her mouth in an ‘o’, cheeks flushing, hoping it wasn’t visible. “Oh.”

Nino gulped–she sounded disappointed, and that was definitely not his intention. “But I mean if you want to go–”

“W-well only if you want to go.”

“I don’t mind either way–I like this–but I’d also like that. Too. You know.”

“O-oh ye-yes but if you want to go to the Eiffel Tower the-then we can go.”

“But do you _want_ to go?” 

“Do _you_?”

They were facing each other now, visibly blushing in the moon’s glow after their verbal ping-pong, eyes just as wide. 

Before they broke out into loud laughter at their antics, falling into each other’s arms, so reminiscent of their school days; when all had been silly crushes and not-very-well-planned-out dates and shockingly-not-like-the-movies-but-even-better first kisses (unless, of course, they counted the childhood kisses when all was nothing but playtime–but who knew that they’d predict their love life a decade in advance?). 

“So… do you want to go?” Nino finally asked again, gently resting his chin on her head.

Marinette giggled again, before pulling away to shrug and press a quick kiss to his lips. “I think… I’m fine like this. We’re together either way, right?”

Nino smiled. 

“Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

They laced their fingers, content with the faint carols in the streets, underneath the glimmering stars, and best of all; _together_.


End file.
